Tampa Bay Lightning fire coach Guy Boucher

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Tampa, Fla. • The Tampa Bay Lightning fired coach Guy Boucher on Sunday, with the team in next to last place in the Eastern Conference and on its way to missing the playoffs for a second straight year.

Assistants Martin Raymond and Dan Lacroix ran the team Sunday night in Winnipeg in the Lightning's 3-2 loss to the Jets.

"Guy has poured his heart and soul into the Lightning organization for these past three years, and we appreciate all the work he has done," general manager Steve Yzerman said in a statement. "But ultimately, I am not satisfied with the direction we are heading and I believe making a change today is in the best interest of our franchise."

Boucher's dismissal came one day after the Lightning fell behind by four goals in the first period of a 5-3 loss at Ottawa.

The Lightning are 13-18-1 and will likely miss the postseason again after reaching the conference finals during Boucher's first year. He was hired as the Lightning's seventh coach in June 2010.

Tampa Bay entered this season with playoff aspirations after adding goalie Anders Lindback and defensemen Sami Salo and Matt Carle. Lindback and captain Vincent Lecavalier have been among the players sidelined by injuries.

Boucher's hiring was Yzerman's first major move as GM. 

Standings

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Pittsburgh 33 25 8 0 50 116 84

New Jersey 32 15 11 6 36 80 86

N.Y. Rangers 31 15 13 3 33 73 76

N.Y. Islanders 32 14 15 3 31 93 105

Philadelphia 31 13 16 2 28 82 94

Northeast Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Montreal 31 20 6 5 45 98 77

Boston 30 20 7 3 43 86 64

Ottawa 32 17 9 6 40 83 70

Toronto 32 17 12 3 37 97 92

Buffalo 32 13 15 4 30 86 100

Southeast Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Winnipeg 33 17 14 2 36 84 98

Carolina 30 15 13 2 32 85 86

Washington 32 15 16 1 31 92 90

Tampa Bay 32 13 18 1 27 103 98

Florida 33 9 18 6 24 78 113

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Chicago 30 24 3 3 51 102 66

Detroit 32 16 11 5 37 87 81

St. Louis 31 17 12 2 36 92 86

Nashville 32 13 13 6 32 80 86

Columbus 32 13 13 6 32 75 85

Northwest Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Vancouver 32 17 9 6 40 87 85

Minnesota 30 18 10 2 38 79 71

Edmonton 30 11 12 7 29 72 88

Calgary 30 12 14 4 28 85 103

Colorado 31 11 16 4 26 79 100

Pacific Division

GP W L OT Pts GF GA

Anaheim 31 22 5 4 48 101 78

Los Angeles 31 17 12 2 36 88 76

Dallas 31 15 13 3 33 83 90

San Jose 30 13 11 6 32 71 79

Phoenix 31 13 14 4 30 80 87

NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Sunday's Games

Washington 3, N.Y. Rangers 2 (SO)

N.Y. Islanders 3, Florida 0

Pittsburgh 2, Philadelphia 1 (OT)

Winnipeg 3, Tampa Bay 2

Vancouver 3, Colorado 2

Calgary 3, St. Louis 2

Detroit 2, Anaheim 1

Monday's Games

Toronto at Boston, 5 p.m.

New Jersey at Ottawa, 5:30 p.m.

Los Angeles at Chicago, 6 p.m.

Edmonton at Nashville, 6 p.m.

Minnesota at Dallas, 6:30 p.m.

Detroit at Phoenix, 8 p.m.

San Jose at Anaheim, 8 p.m.

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